Robinson Canó

Robinson Cano had the prettiest swing I've ever seen from the left side of the plate. Smoothest hands, sweetest path to the ball, the kind of swing that made hitting coaches weep and made you forget he was a second baseman. He hit .309 with 204 home runs across nine seasons in pinstripes for the New York Yankees, won a ring in 2009, and then left for Seattle's money. And then he got popped for PEDs. Twice.

I told you it was complicated.

Named for a Legend

Here's a detail that'll stop you cold: Robinson Cano is literally named after Jackie Robinson. His father Jose -- who pitched briefly for the Astros in 1989 (six games, a 5.09 ERA, and stories for a lifetime) -- admired Jackie Robinson so deeply that he named his son after the man who broke baseball's color barrier. That's a hell of a name to carry around. And for most of his career, Cano carried it well.

Jose signed his kid with the Yankees as an international free agent on January 5, 2001. Robinson was 18 years old, straight out of San Pedro de Macoris -- the Dominican city that's produced more big leaguers per capita than anywhere on earth. He spent four years grinding through the minors, with his dad doubling as his personal hitting coach the entire time.

The Sweetest Swing in the Bronx

Cano debuted on May 3, 2005, and by his second season he was hitting .342 -- third in the American League behind only Joe Mauer (.347) and Derek Jeter (.343). At 23. The breakout wasn't a fluke. This kid didn't swing at baseballs. He collected them.

His peak years were stupid good. From 2010 to 2012, Cano averaged .311 with 30 homers and hit a career-best 33 in 2012 while posting an 8.4 WAR. He won Gold Gloves, Silver Sluggers, and finished top five in MVP voting twice (third in 2010, fourth in 2012). Playing next to Jeter for nearly a decade, Cano was always the more talented player in the middle infield. Jeter was the Captain. Cano was the artist.

The 2010 Home Run Derby deserves its own paragraph. Cano's dad Jose threw him batting practice at Angel Stadium -- and kept hitting him with pitches in the early rounds (the man had a 5.09 ERA for a reason). The crowd loved every second of it. Robinson still won the whole thing. Father and son, on the biggest stage, doing the thing they'd done together since Robinson was a kid in the Dominican. That one still gets me.

The 2009 Ring

Cano was a central piece of the 2009 championship run -- the last time the Yankees won it all. He hit .320 with 25 homers in the regular season and contributed throughout October as the club beat the Phillies in six games for their 27th title. Playing alongside Jeter, Mo, and CC Sabathia, Cano fit right into the mix of old-guard greatness and new-generation talent.

That ring matters. It's the one thing nobody can take away from him.

The Departure

After the 2013 season, Cano's camp -- represented by Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports -- wanted 10 years. The Yankees drew the line at seven years and roughly $175 million. Seattle offered 10 years and $240 million. Cano took the money and left.

I'm not going to pretend it didn't sting. He'd come up through our system, won a ring in the Bronx, and seemed like a guy who'd retire in pinstripes. But $65 million is $65 million, and I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't have done the same thing. (Doesn't mean I have to like it.)

The Mariners never made the postseason with him. Not once.

The PED Problem

I won't sugarcoat this part. In May 2018, Cano got hit with an 80-game suspension after testing positive for furosemide -- a diuretic that's on the banned list because it can mask PEDs. He blamed a medication from the Dominican Republic. OK, fine. Benefit of the doubt, maybe.

Then came the second positive in November 2020 -- this time for stanozolol, an anabolic steroid. No ambiguity there. A full 162-game suspension, an entire freakin' season gone. The Mets designated him for assignment, and his meaningful career was over. (Two suspensions will do that to a guy.)

Here's what makes the PED thing so frustrating with Cano: his whole identity was the natural swing. The bat-to-ball skill. The effortless grace. He wasn't a guy who looked like he was juicing -- he looked like a guy who didn't need to. And that's exactly why the second suspension killed whatever benefit of the doubt he had left. You don't get to blame a Dominican pharmacy when you test positive for stanozolol.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Robinson Cano leave the Yankees?

After the 2013 season, Cano signed a 10-year, $240 million deal with the Seattle Mariners. The Yankees offered roughly 7 years and $175 million but wouldn't go further. His agents at Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports pushed for the longest possible term, and Seattle delivered. (The Mariners didn't make the postseason a single time while he played there, so make of that what you will.)

Was Robinson Cano suspended for PEDs?

Yes, twice. He got an 80-game suspension in 2018 after testing positive for furosemide, a banned diuretic. In late 2020, a second positive -- this time for stanozolol, an anabolic steroid -- earned him a 162-game suspension. The two suspensions ended his career as a viable big leaguer and almost certainly killed his Hall of Fame chances.

Who is Robinson Cano named after?

Jackie Robinson. Cano's father Jose admired Jackie Robinson and named his son in tribute to the man who integrated Major League Baseball. Robinson has said he's always carried the name with pride.

What were Robinson Cano's stats with the Yankees?

In nine seasons (2005-2013), Cano hit .309 with 204 home runs, 822 RBI, and an .860 OPS across 1,374 games. He was a five-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner, and four-time Silver Slugger as a Yankee. His best season came in 2012, when he posted an 8.4 WAR.

The prettiest swing of his generation, and two dirty tests. A ring and a departure. Named after the most important player in baseball history, and he couldn't keep the legacy clean. Robinson Cano gave us nine years of beautiful baseball in the Bronx, and I'll always love watching those highlights. But the story doesn't end where any of us wanted it to.